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wuthrinheights's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first picked up this book when I was a teenager and I loved it since. It was the first classic book I read that wasn't assigned in class. And that was the birth of my love for classics. Reading it again in my 20's, it's even better than when I first met him.
Holden was witty and observant, sarcastic, and the biggest hater you've ever met. His narration was often so comical, I kept giggling or literally laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. Really, he killed me.
But as you read on, this story of his account of spending the night alone in New York City, in between meeting all kinds of people in his life who happened to be available to meet him that night, while his memories weaved in and out, and he tried his hardest to hang on, your heart gets broken piece by piece. Holden's voice will stay with you and you can't shake him out.
A full 5 stars for me. Heck, I'd give 6 out of 5 stars if I could. This is my favourite book and it holds a special place in my heart for it.
Holden was witty and observant, sarcastic, and the biggest hater you've ever met. His narration was often so comical, I kept giggling or literally laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. Really, he killed me.
But as you read on, this story of his account of spending the night alone in New York City, in between meeting all kinds of people in his life who happened to be available to meet him that night, while his memories weaved in and out, and he tried his hardest to hang on, your heart gets broken piece by piece. Holden's voice will stay with you and you can't shake him out.
A full 5 stars for me. Heck, I'd give 6 out of 5 stars if I could. This is my favourite book and it holds a special place in my heart for it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
mawar12's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
salem0's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
first read: july 2020
reread and reviewed by: sept 13 2023
honestly, it's kind of a bittersweet type of book. i like the commentary on the 'innocence' of childhood and the adolescent experience. holden is pretty flawed since he's a bit shallow at times and he's clearly got anger issues and a little misogyny, but i did feel for him and what he was going through. his views on the people around him reminded me a bit of me when i was 16 with some mental health issues. i sorta got what he was saying about phoniness too. the part at the end where he said 'god i wish you could've been there to see it' kinda got me pretty sad. the part i liked best was where he explained why he wanted to be the catcher in the rye tho. i came out of the story genuinely wishing that this guy got better after the events of this book.
overall, i really enjoyed this book, and while it's no favorite, i think it'll still stick with me. and even if people are often divided on this book, i'd still recommend this. also now i've gotten into saying goddamn as often as possible because of this goddamn book.
edit 17/5/24: i think it is a favorite after all.
reread and reviewed by: sept 13 2023
honestly, it's kind of a bittersweet type of book. i like the commentary on the 'innocence' of childhood and the adolescent experience. holden is pretty flawed since he's a bit shallow at times and he's clearly got anger issues and a little misogyny, but i did feel for him and what he was going through. his views on the people around him reminded me a bit of me when i was 16 with some mental health issues. i sorta got what he was saying about phoniness too. the part at the end where he said 'god i wish you could've been there to see it' kinda got me pretty sad. the part i liked best was where he explained why he wanted to be the catcher in the rye tho. i came out of the story genuinely wishing that this guy got better after the events of this book.
overall, i really enjoyed this book, and while it's no favorite, i think it'll still stick with me. and even if people are often divided on this book, i'd still recommend this. also now i've gotten into saying goddamn as often as possible because of this goddamn book.
edit 17/5/24: i think it is a favorite after all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Sexual harassment
bexi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
diana_raquel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
Partially published in serial form between 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is considered to be one of the best modern American novels. It follows the events in Holden Caulfield's life for a weekend after being expelled from his boarding school. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents because of its themes of alienation and angst. It also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, grief, connection, sex, and depression.
I think that this is one of those books that you have to read in a certain mood or at a specific time in your life (teenage years). Maybe because I'm not in the right mood or in my teenage years, this book did nothing to me. It's a "meh" to me. I know that Holden isn't intended to be a likable character but I just roll my eyes because he can be very annoying. Most of the time, I was just "Grow up already!".
I liked the writing style and even with my annoyance with Holden, I have to say that he is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. But, alas, it is still a "meh" to me.
Partially published in serial form between 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is considered to be one of the best modern American novels. It follows the events in Holden Caulfield's life for a weekend after being expelled from his boarding school. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents because of its themes of alienation and angst. It also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, grief, connection, sex, and depression.
I think that this is one of those books that you have to read in a certain mood or at a specific time in your life (teenage years). Maybe because I'm not in the right mood or in my teenage years, this book did nothing to me. It's a "meh" to me. I know that Holden isn't intended to be a likable character but I just roll my eyes because he can be very annoying. Most of the time, I was just "Grow up already!".
I liked the writing style and even with my annoyance with Holden, I have to say that he is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. But, alas, it is still a "meh" to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahexe's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
sincerelyadah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At the beginning, I had a hard time “getting into” it, but as I read on, it became more and more interesting. Here’s a little review of it. (edit i’d give it more of a 4.5)
I feel like I have a lot of empathy for Holden. It’s really clear that he’s deeply depressed to the point that everything in the world depresses him even more. He’s hyper aware of how much and how often people pretend, or are being “phony.” And I think that is why most depressed him—at least as far as I can tell.
Holden also was probably abused or harassed (sexually) on at least a few occasions. When the whole thing happens with his old english teacher, he mentions how that kind of stuff has happened plenty of times before. And at the end, he seems to be with a psychoanalyst. I’m not sure what that means, but it all points to him being very traumatized. This further leads me to empathize with him.
Another thing I think the book really shows is how deeply Holden desires real connection. I think this is why seeing people be shallow and fake is so depressing. He wants so bad to have relationships that are real with people who are real. Especially romantically—him with the prostitute definitely shows that. I definitely understand that desire so another reason I empathize with him.
Moving away from the actual plot and characters towards the style, I want to mention the way Salinger writes. It’s not necessarily mind blowing, many have written books in the form of a letter, like Perks of Being a Wallflower. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable style. I really love the mystery, that we don’t know who he’s writing to, it adds something to the story as a whole.
And lastly, the ending. IM CONFUSED. Ill have to read some kind of explanation because even though I have my thoughts and theories, I don’t know if they’re right. If anyone does, please LMKKK
Anyway, that’s my review. I liked the book a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s absolute favorite but it’s definitely up there!
I feel like I have a lot of empathy for Holden. It’s really clear that he’s deeply depressed to the point that everything in the world depresses him even more. He’s hyper aware of how much and how often people pretend, or are being “phony.” And I think that is why most depressed him—at least as far as I can tell.
Another thing I think the book really shows is how deeply Holden desires real connection. I think this is why seeing people be shallow and fake is so depressing. He wants so bad to have relationships that are real with people who are real. Especially romantically—
Moving away from the actual plot and characters towards the style, I want to mention the way Salinger writes. It’s not necessarily mind blowing, many have written books in the form of a letter, like Perks of Being a Wallflower. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable style. I really love the mystery, that we don’t know who he’s writing to, it adds something to the story as a whole.
And lastly, the ending. IM CONFUSED. Ill have to read some kind of explanation because even though I have my thoughts and theories, I don’t know if they’re right. If anyone does, please LMKKK
Anyway, that’s my review. I liked the book a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s absolute favorite but it’s definitely up there!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
mushureads44's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual harassment
lipka's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
(Maybe one day I can finally put into words how this book makes me feel.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War
alexvb's review against another edition
2.5
The last 3 or so chapters are the only genuinely interesting part of this book. The rest of it is absolutely insufferable, Holden is insufferable - he is supposed to be what 16 years old and yet he talks and acts like a 12 year old boy who just hit puberty - and it's very obvious very early on why he acts this way, and what stuff going on with him. But it takes him the entire book to realise *yawn*.
I can completely understand why any boy (sorry to be generalising) aged 12 - 14 would eat this book up like it's the best book ever written. But any older and I'd be questioning your comprehension, maturity, and awareness skills.
I can completely understand why any boy (sorry to be generalising) aged 12 - 14 would eat this book up like it's the best book ever written. But any older and I'd be questioning your comprehension, maturity, and awareness skills.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Your standard Classics book of harrassing people who don't wanna be hit on.